Oliver laughed. “Should I feel flattered by that or exploited?”
“Oh, we’re too special for a bit of exploitation, are we?”
“Depends on the situation.”
― Alexis Hall, Husband MaterialOliver was icy calm now in a way I had learned to be either afraid of or turned on by depending on context.
― Alexis Hall, Husband Material
The follow up to Boyfriend Material exceeded my expectations. While I think the first book is a better story, the extended scenes in Husband Material with Oliver, Luc, and the full cast of characters was a fun way to spend a few hours.
Oliver and Luc are still together after two years and even Luc is not completely shocked by his unprecedented romantic luck. Friends, colleagues, and exes keep getting hitched, and through this series of nuptials, Luc and Oliver navigate the tumultuous emotional landscape of not being the groom but being deeply involved in the planning and ceremonies. Despite being a self-proclaimed mess, Luc is called upon to shepherd his best friend Bridget through her pre-wedding jitters. He also attends his diabolical ex’s wedding, as well as his disgustingly wealthy colleague’s country estate wedding.
Throughout all of this, Oliver stands by his side, even when Luc doesn’t know what he is doing. As this is a take on “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” there must be a funeral. I think this was my favorite part of the story. Not because of the death, but because this death brought about some conversations and emotional growth that needed to happen for Oliver and Luc to appreciate what they have together.
My primary complaint is that even though the characters are delightful, the story was built around the desire to extend their conversations and interactions. This caused a bit of bloat in the middle of the book. I found myself nodding along and going “yes, yes, and?” as it didn’t feel like the story was actually going anywhere.
However, I will always accept more Odile and Judy and the four spaniels. We need more lovely lady friends in their fifties watching Drag Race, hosting impromptu weddings, drinking abundant amounts of alcohol, and wishing venereal disease on their “worse than a bag of broken dicks” ex-husbands.
I won’t ruin the ending but, even though the story is messy, it is so funny and sweet. I immediately began re-reading Boyfriend Material as I was not ready to leave Oliver, Luc, Luc’s mum, the team at CRAPP, and Priya’s truck crew behind.